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TMZ is reporting that Johnny Wactor, who played Brando Corbin on General Hospital from 2020 to 2022, was shot and killed early Saturday morning. According to the website, his mother Scarlett told them that he and a coworker found three men “messing with” Wactor’s car. Authorities haven’t released his name, but the website found an incident that matched that description in which three suspects allegedly tried to steal a catalytic converter.
They reported that the former GH star didn’t try to fight or stop them but he was still shot before they took off. The site went on to say that according to police information, paramedics rushed to help just after 3 a.m. PT and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. He was 37 years old.
Johnny Wactor was born on August 31, 1986, in Charleston, South Carolina. One of his first credits was on Army Wives back in 2007 playing a few different roles over the next couple of years. He went on to guest star in several other shows, some shorts and in films. In 2013, he appeared on the TV series Siberia, playing the recurring role of Johnny. Another step in his career was playing Shane Hudson on the series Hollywood Girl, but it was his role as Brando on GH that won him the hearts of soap fans.
When asked what stood out on his first day on the soap, the actor told Digest, “How fast production was shooting. Just moving at a blinding speed compared to what I’ve been accustomed to.” he said. The actor had a big heart, which was obvious when he answered a quick question for Digest about what the first thing he’d do when he arrived at the studio and he said, “Give our security guard a hug.”
His character, Brando, was the first victim of GH’s serial killer storyline about the murderer known as the Hook, who turned out to be Heather. Upon his exit, the actor told Digest that on account of the hectic schedule during his final days of taping on the show, “I was filming so many pages, I didn’t really have time to kind of think or be emotional or reflect on anything.” But after wrapping his scenes, “I gave a little speech. I knew that I would want to say something just because of my time there and my relationships with the people in the cast and crew. I was a little emotional.” He added, “I’ve got no bad blood and I wish everyone at GH the best.”
As GH wound down, the actor flew to New York to produce a film before returning to Los Angeles to finish up his last episodes for the soap. He spoke with Digest about what the experience had taught him. “My first few months on the show, I would go up to the stage early because I was new and still kind of uncomfortable and I wanted to watch people on set and get more comfortable on set, and I remember sitting in the dark, preparing for a scene, and looking up at all the lights and the rafters and I just had this moment of, ‘Oh, man. I’m living out my dream. I’m able to make a living as an actor, which is an extremely rare thing to do.’ That was a poignant moment for me.”
His GH costars have been paying tribute. Digest sends our thoughts to his family, friends and fans during this difficult time.
